Finding You
by Virgo girl 14
Summary: Freddie Roscoe is not the first victim to slip away from Lindsey Roscoe and her gloved hand. DS Thorpe started his investigation long before finding him in the boot. So who started it off?
1. Prologue

_He tried so hard to wake up, to open his eyes and tell her everything would be okay. He wanted to stop the heartbreaking sobs he could hear coming from the girl he loved so much. His brain wasn't co-operating with what he wanted it to do, move his hand, open his eyes, just something!_

 _"It's not fair, this wasn't the plan. You said you wouldn't leave me here."_

 _He knew it wasn't the plan, he tried to speak, to tell her just anything to ease her pain._

 _"I can't do this without you. You promised."_

 _'Yes you can!' he wanted to tell her. He knew her strength of character for someone so young and already so damaged._

 _He could hear another voice, male, although he couldn't make out what he was saying or who it was._

 _"I don't want to leave him on his own." He heard her voice once more._

 _Trying once more just to get some signal to say he was okay, he felt his hand move, but it came too late. Her voice was already retreating away from him. Suddenly he forced his eyes open, dark brown eyes looking around a cold, old room. He looked up into the face of DS Thorpe._

 _Thorpe looked over his shoulder to check he was alone. "Do you know who tried to kill you?"_

 _Dark brown eyes just looked at him for a moment, before he closed them again. The strength it took to wake himself up had tired him out._

 _Thorpe carried his body out, and into the car, driving it away and out of sight. This was to be the start of the murder investigation at Dee Valley Hospital._


	2. Chapter 1

"So, Mr Royle. Do you feel up to talking to me yet?"

Dylan put down the glass of water on the table, looking up at the man who had taken him from all he knew, and had him locked away in a house far from home. "Gonna tell me why I'm here first?"

"Well one minute you're dead, your girlfriend comes to see you before your funeral and you wake up as she's leaving with Ben and Sienna."

Dylan could only shrug. "I don't know. I guess I did die... But then I started to hear my dad talking. And then Nico."

"Do you remember anything at all after the car accident?"

Dylan shook his head. "I remember being in the hospital. Dr S'Avage was there... Said something about needing an operation...Then someone came into the room... Then nothing."

"Do you know who this person was?"

"No. I just wanna go back home."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

"Why not?"

"Something young Nico Blake said. She thinks there's something odd going on at that hospital, she's tried to get Jason to look into it, and I've taken it off him." DS Thorpe looked at him. "I'm putting you into police protection, no need to worry about serving your sentence when this is all over. I'll let my colleagues know you've been helping with my inquiries and ask that they take it into account."

Dylan nodded, listening to him. Trust Nico to head her own campaign to find out what really happened. He sighed. "Well what about Nico? She thinks I'm dead, can I at least tell her what's going on?"

"I'm afraid she's too highly emotional at this stage, she could very well let something slip."

Yeah cause of this! If I tell her, then she knows it's gonna be ok and she won't say anything. I know her she wouldn't." Dylan looked up, pleading with him. "Please."

Thorpe looked at the teenage boy. He knew Dylan wasn't a bad kid, it was just unfortunate of who his father was and he went down the wrong path to impress him. "Fine I'll bring her here. This is only on the condition she's not to breathe a word while this investigation is going on."

Dylan nodded, sitting back in his chair. "Thank you."

Thorpe nodded and left the house. He sighed, getting into his car and drove back to the village, leaving Dylan to his thoughts.


	3. Chapter 2

Ben could only look on as he watched the young girl he saw as his own struggle to hold it together. While Carly had lived a troubled life, a life most would say her ending was what she had coming, Dylan was only just fifteen, his life hadn't even started yet and it had been taken from him.

Nico looked lost, so alone yet she had all the support around her. Sienna walked to her and pulled her into a hug.

"I asked him to wake up, mum."

Sienna sighed softly. "I know, sweetheart."

Ben walked to them, holding them both close to him. "We will find out what happened, I promise."

Nico nodded and wiped her eyes for what felt the hundredth time and she stepped away from them both, walking out of the flat.

"I wish I could help her." Sienna looked at him.

"Jason's been looking into the deaths. The only thing that connects them is they all died of a heart attack."

"But he was a healthy fifteen year old kid, Ben. Healthy people don't just die of a heart attack. Especially kids."

Ben sighed. He didn't know what to think or to suggest. "Come on." He walked with her out of the flat, walking out into the village just as the funeral cars arrived. He watched as Nico walked forward and place her hand on the window, looking in at where Dylan lay.

* * *

"What do you mean you didn't have chance to tell her?" Dylan looked up.

DS Thorpe looked at the teenager. "She's either been in school or around that hospital. If I go telling her in front of people it might alert your killer. And since you don't remember who it was that almost killed you, I'd rather not blow the entire investigation. Once things have calmed down-"

"Calmed down?! Have you met Nico Blake? Once she's got something in her head she never lets it go!" Dylan snapped. "You were supposed to tell her!"

"And I will."

"How?! She's planning on burying me today. The only way she will believe I'm ok now is if I turn up! And how the hell is my being in witness protection gonna help me when I don't remember anything!"

"And if you do that you put yourself at more risk. You've just come out of hospital where they've made sure you're alright. Your killer is still out there, Mr Royle, and until we find them, you can't go back to your girlfriend or your family." Thorpe told him and left the house.

Dylan groaned and kicked a chair over. All he wanted was to go home, to be around everything he knew, to be with the people he loved. He knew he had to get a message to her somehow, a message only she would get.

A/N: I know they're not a lot at the moment, I do have an idea as to where this is going


	4. Chapter 3

A/N thank you 'Guest' for the review :) Now this chapter is a little more fast-paced, a lot of time skipping. Mainly cause I couldn't find a way of writing 8 months of Dylan in hiding. Little bit of a warning, Dylan is a teenage boy, teenagers swear. Deal with it :D Happy reading!

* * *

The weeks turned into months, Dylan gave up asking questions. It was clear the police officer wasn't going to let him in on his plan. His dad had been arrested for the hospital murders with Freddie Roscoe's appearance at the safe house. Dylan had no memory of who was in the hospital room in his 'final' moments, but he didn't think his dad was responsible, even if they didn't see eye to eye all the time.

The young teen looked up, hearing movements and a hushed argument. "How come he gets to go out but I don't?" He questioned, looking at an irritated DS Thorpe and a drunk Freddie Roscoe.

"I escaped, kid." Freddie smirked, leaving the room.

"I want to go home. I know my dad didn't kill those people, and why would he attack me?"

"Well unless you can prove otherwise, Mr Royle, I'm afraid your father is going away for a very long time." Thorpe looked at him. "Start remembering what happened to you."

Dylan sighed heavily.

"I understand your loyalty. But sometimes loyalty is misplaced, even in family."

"But it doesn't make sense."

"I think you should get some rest and try not to think about it. It won't do any good going over old ground looking for an answer you won't get."

Dylan nodded resignedly, walking out to go to his room.

* * *

Christmas passed uneventfully for Dylan, apart from the unexpected death of Ziggy Roscoe. Yet another argument between Freddie and the police officer about attending the funeral.

"Why don't you go, but stay back, they don't need to see you." He suggested to the older Roscoe.

Freddie shrugged. He knew Dylan had a point. "Wouldn't be the same. I need to stand with my brothers as a family, not apart from them."

"And if you don't what then? Beat yourself up for not going?"

Freddie sighed.

"Look, with everything going on I'm close to going back there myself and putting everything straight. You do what you have to."

"Yeah. You're right. You know what that's exactly what I'm gonna do. I can't believe I'm takin' advice from a fifteen year old kid!"

Dylan just smirked, rolling his eyes. "Yeah well one of us has to think about the shit we're in and deal with it."

"I'm gonna stop arguin' in front of you." Freddie laughed. "Didn't swear much before I turned up."

"Yeah that's what you think. I just didn't do it a lot is all."

* * *

Thorpe had finally agreed to let them out of witness protection. Dylan knew all along Trevor wasn't involved in the killings.

Dylan made his way through the village. Looking around, he knew this place would feel like home again, he just had to get used to it after eight months in hiding. His appearance had changed very little in the time he'd been away, deciding to do away with the red in his hair and let his hair grow back, looking more like a normal kid than his previous image. He spotted Peri walking with a girl and he ran over to her. "Peri!"

Peri stopped talking, looking away from Jade and she looked straight at him, a flicker of recognition on her face.

"It's me...Dylan."

Peri shook her head, looking confused. "You're...-"

"Yeah, not dead. Long story."

She unlinked her arm from Jade's and slapped him across the face. "D'you have any idea what you did to us?! To Nico!" she snapped.

Dylan rubbed his cheek. "Yeah I deserved that... But listen!" he grabbed her arm to stop her from walking away. "Please?"

Peri scowled, her shoulders dropping. "Go on then? Why pretend to be dead? What did we bury if it wasn't you?"

Jade looked confused, her impending appointment at the hospital forgotten for a moment as she watched the scene unfold.

"I was waking up. Thorpe noticed and he took me away, got me to another hospital so they could save me. Then he put me in witness protection, said someone tried to kill me. Trouble is, I don't remember what happened, so..." he trailed off.

"So why didn't he let you come back? Tell us you were ok?"

He shrugged. "I never understood why myself. Said something about an investigation at the hospital and that was it."

"Nico's gonna kill you for this."

"I know... You'll protect me, right?" He gave her his cheekiest grin.

She shoved him lightly, smiling. "You're an idiot." she said and hugged him.

He hugged back. "I'd better get it over and done with...Where is she?" he released her.

She looked at Jade. "Uh... she's in hospital." she said, looking back at him. "Jade has an appointment and we were gonna see her after."

"Why? What happened?"

Peri didn't want to answer.

"Heart attack." Jade spoke up. "She didn't take her medication properly and that's what caused it."

"Come on. You can leave us to see her once we get there." Peri said afterward, linking her arm with Jade's again and the three set off to the hospital. Once there, Peri pointed in the direction of Nico's room before leaving with Jade.

Dylan watched the two girls leave him and he made his way toward the room where Nico was. He eventually found it, seeing her alone in the room, lying in the bed hooked up to a machine, and he slowly entered. "Hey, you."

Nico looked up from her phone at the voice, and her phone dropped from her hand. She looked at him with her eyes wide and questioning, a mixture of emotions on her face. "This isn't fair..." she whispered.

Dylan swallowed hard trying to rid the lump in his throat and he slowly walked toward her. "What isn't?"

"You're not real. You're dead." She shook her head, looking up at the face she recognised, a face she knew belonged to the boy she loved so much and grieved for.

He sat on the edge of her bed and gently touched her hand. "You feel real to me."

"Stop it!" she snapped, pulling it away. She was torn between wanting to believe it and not wanting to.

"No."

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice cracked.

"Cause I came back."

Nico looked up at him again, she could feel herself about to burst into tears. "Why? Why now?"

"I missed you." He held her hand again. "I'm here. I'm real. And I came back."

She pushed herself up and hugged him fiercely.

He hugged back tightly.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N thank you for my reviews :) Ah I have a way to tackle that one ;) Trienna may be no more by the time I'm finished ;) The PTSD thing may be a bit more difficult to figure out. Evil cliffhangers are what I do best ;)

* * *

"I don't understand... What happened?"

Dylan looked at Nico. He didn't know the best way to explain it himself. "Uhm... Well I know for a while All could see and hear was nothing. Then things started to come through... Sounds... I heard you."

Nico listened, her fingers picking at the blanket on her lap. She looked up at his last sentence.

"I tried to do what you asked. You wanted me to wake up, and I tried."

"Why couldn't you?"

He shrugged. "I dunno... But I tried everything. I tried moving my hand, opening my eyes... Nothing worked. By the time my eyes opened you'd just gone... but I couldn't speak."

She nodded slowly. "Ben and Thorpe were on the way somewhere...Can't remember now where but... Ben convinced me to go home to mum."

"And that was when I woke up... You were walking out. Thorpe stayed behind... He took me to a hospital, make sure everything was ok then I was put into witness protection. One of the things I wanted him to do was tell you I was ok."

Nico shook her head. "He never told me anything..."

"I know. I found out when it was too late."

Nico sighed quietly. She looked up hearing footsteps approaching the door and she saw Ben.

"You going to tell me what's going on?" Ben spoke, seeing the two teenagers.

"Don't be mad at him..." Nico looked up, pleading with him.

"Nico, he made you think you were dead, left you heartbroken and it was me and your mum who had to pick up the pieces."

"It was Thorpe who did this. He put me and Freddie Roscoe in witness protection, I told Thorpe to tell Nico I was ok but he didn't." Dylan sighed, looking at him. "Go and ask him if you don't believe me."

"I think it's time you left. Nico needs to rest." Ben looked at him. "I'll speak with DS Thorpe."

Dylan nodded, looking at Nico. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Nico smiled a little and nodded, watching him go. "He's telling the truth." She spoke, looking at Ben.

"How do you know?"

"He's not a good liar. Never has been."

Ben still couldn't help but feel protective over her. "I just want you to be sure, Nico. I know you're not mine, but that's exactly how I see you. I see Carly at 15, and I know you're not going to make her choices, you're smarter than that-"

"But I'm not a child either." Nico smiled. "You're the closest thing I have to a dad and I do love you. But Dylan won't hurt me."

Ben nodded. "Yeah... Come on, give your old man a hug eh."

Nico laughed and hugged him.


	6. Chapter 5

Dylan left the hospital and made his way slowly through the village. He walked toward the flat he once called home and he knocked the door. He could hear a baby crying and the sound of movement, a female voice shouting that she was on her way. ' _Grace is still there then._ ' He thought in amusement.

Grace opened the door and froze.

"Wow, speechless for once." Dylan joked with a small smirk.

"Is this some kind of sick joke 'ere?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"I think you better explain somethin' don't you? Get in there, I'll get your dad."

The look on her face made him think better of making a joke and he walked inside. It was the same look his mother gave when she caught him doing something he shouldn't.

Grace sighed and shut the door, grabbing her phone and calling Trevor, but it went straight to voicemail. "Trevor when you pick this up call me back. There's somethin' you need to come back for." She slammed the phone down on the coffee table and looked at the teenager in front of her. "Wanna tell me what the hell you're playin' at?"

He shrugged and explained his story.

"Hold on, so Thorpe knew all this? And ye he still said nothin', you said nothing about getting your dad out of prison?!"

"I tried to! But all he kept saying was I had to prove it. And with no proof, nothing on me apart from a dress I was meant to be buried in, and some clothes he bought, I had nothing."

"Couldn't you have tried anything?"

"Everything I thought of, I tried. If he'd of listened to me in the first place, told Nico I was ok then maybe she could have looked for something. Y'know what she's like if she thinks something's not right she'll find a way to prove it."

"And you couldn't trust me or Esther with that?"

He shrugged. "Esther probably. You with a mouth the size of the city wall? No thanks."

"Oh charmin'!" Grace scoffed.

"It's true! When have you kept anything secret?"

"When you decided to play drag queen for a couple of months. See you're not doin' it now."

"You had a go at Kim about it. The only reason I'm not now is cause right now I don't want to. I just wanna come home and get back to normal, whatever that is."

She rolled her eyes. "Well it's gonna take a lot more than an explanation to your dad, sunshine, he's a wreck. Home and normal for you are a long way off right now."

"What d'you mean?"

She sighed. "He got attacked outside the club when he was sorting the bottles. Whoever did it caught him off guard, he's not been right since." She spoke and looked when she heard the key in the front door. She walked over as Trevor opened it. "Right, before you come in, just prepare yourself alright?"

"What are you talking about? I got your message, now tell me."

Dylan slowly appeared behind her.

"What the hell is going on? D'you hate me that much or something?" Trevor looked at Grace.

"No of course not! It's really him, I promise!"

"I sort of came back... Was put in witness protection cause of what was going on."

"So the police knew about this? Bradley knew?"

Dylan shrugged. "I don't think so. He looked shocked to see me when he saw me at the hospital...so I don't think he knew."

Trevor shook his head, the flashbacks appearing in front of him again. He kicked the door and stormed out.

"Give him time to calm down." Grace spoke, grabbing Dylan's arm to stop him.

He looked, for a fleeting second he saw her guard down, the slight look of fear before the mask went up again and she went to calm a now screaming Curtis. Dylan sighed and ran his hands over his face, groaning. "Got a lot to make up for here haven't I."

"You will. He just needs to deal with his issues. He's been goin' to see this counsellor. He was there with her today."

He nodded and sat down, trying to process the million thoughts in his head.


	7. Chapter 6

Sienna was walking through the hospital, heading to where Nico was when her phone rang and she answered it. "Trevor, what's wrong?"

"I need to see you. Now."

"I can't I'm just about to go see Nico, the doctors said they need to talk to me and Ben." Sienna sighed.

"Please."

Sienna stopped walking and sighed again. "Alright... meet me in 20 minutes... I'll make an excuse." She hung up as Ben walked out of the room Nico was in. She rushed out before he spotted her, running straight into Tegan.

"Sienna, the doctor's just on his way to Nico now about a donor."

"Sorry, I forgot something of Nico's, she'll be in a mood if I don't get it, you know what teenagers are like." Sienna smiled and left before Tegan could stop her again and she walked to the Loft. "Trevor?" she spotted him at the bar and walked over to him.

"I don't understand. Why now?"

Sienna sat next to him. "You've lost me..."

"Dylan..."

She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head to the side. "What about him?"

"He was dead.. And... and now he's not."

"We buried him, what do you mean he's-"

"You don't need to tell me! I know!" he snapped, cutting her off and sighed heavily, his head in his hands. "Sorry."

Sienna looked at him. "Start from the beginning."

He looked at her. "I dunno... I don't know what to think. Whatever is going on it's not fair. The amount of times I have sat at the flat, just wanting him to walk through the door one last time, even if he was mad at me, it wouldn't matter cause he's there."

She nodded slowly.

"I didn't give him chance to explain I just saw him and ran."

"I don't understand.."

"Dylan's come back."

"What?" Her thoughts instantly turned to Nico. "How?"

"I don't know."

"Well then go back and find out. The biggest part of this is facing what you're afraid of, confronting it. You can't run scared, he's your son."

"What like you were gonna run from Nico?!"

"That's different! Nico is still alive and has been all this time!"

"I'm gonna tell him to keep as far away from her as possible. And hope he hasn't already seen her." He got up and left.

Sienna watched him leave and she too left the club.

Nico looked up from her phone. "Where's mum?" she asked, looking at Ben.

Ben looked at her. "I'm not sure, I'm sure she'll be here."

Nico sighed, looking back at her phone, continuing to text Dylan.

"You know, if you put your phone down, he'll still be there later." Ben smiled.

"I don't want to take that chance." Nico smiled. "I know it's stupid... But I lost him once, I don't want it to happen again..."

"It's not stupid. It's a natural thing, but it's also normal to want to scream and shout, and want to track him down again and demand answers."

Nico shrugged. "Part of me does want answers... the other part doesn't want to know."

"Scared?"

She nodded.

He sat on the edge of the bed and hugged her. "Scared of what?"

"The answer."

Ben looked up as the door opened, seeing Sienna walk in. "Where did you get to?"

"Sorry, I had an appointment I couldn't get out of.. I'm here now." Sienna smiled.

Nico looked up. "Mum they've found a match."

"That's great news." Sienna smiled and hugged her.

Nico hugged back. "Don't leave me, mum..."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Trevor walked into the flat, looking around. He spotted Grace on the sofa. "Where is he?"

"Upstairs with Curtis... Told him he'd have to share his room with his brother, surprisingly he didn't kick off."

"I shouldn't have kicked off before. I'm sorry."

"You have a second chance here." Grace stood up, walking to him until she was right under his nose. "Don't screw this up like you do everything else. I'm goin' for a drink. Next time I see you I want you and your son getting on. Got it?"

"We'll join you when we've talked." He nodded, watching her leave. "Dylan!"

Dylan looked up, hearing his name and he put Curtis back down in the cot, walking down the stairs slowly.

Trevor looked at him. "How?"

"I don't know myself." Dylan shrugged. "For a while I couldn't hear anything... then I did. I tried moving, or opening my eyes... just something. Then Thorpe found me and I was awake... But I couldn't speak."

Trevor listened to him. "But when you could?"

"Was too late. I tried to get a message back but it didn't work. We were stuck in Brighton for the past 7-8 months."

"We?"

"Me and Freddie Roscoe. We both came back to the village the same time."

Trevor nodded, looking at him. "Listen... I'm sorry for what happened before. Last thing you said to me was you wanted me to love you. I do. I didn't act like you didn't exist I literally didn't know until your 14th birthday." he sighed. "Was your gran that contacted me. I went up to see her, she told me everything."

Dylan shrugged, unable to look at him as he spoke. "Yeah I remember mum goin' mad about something like that...she never told me what though. Was round about the time I started acting up. Then she sent me here."

Trevor slowly walked to him. "Y'know it took a lot of convincing to let Grace use your room for Curtis. I eventually gave in, said she could, on the condition she didn't move your stuff too much. Was just enough to make room for him."

Dylan nodded. "Well I wasn't gonna expect you to keep anything... especially when you didn't know what was going on."

"Look at me, Dyl."

The teenager looked up at him.

"You're my son. No matter what you do, who you want to be. Losing you made me see that. I love you."

Dylan hugged him tightly, Trevor hugged back.

Trevor wiped his eyes. "Right. Go grab Curtis."

"Why?"

"We're gonna meet Grace over at the Dog. Let her know we sorted everything. Well.. not everything but you know what I mean."

Dylan nodded and walked up to get Curtis. "Come on you." He grinned, picking the infant up and carried him down the stairs.

Trevor took Curtis from him just as his phone rang. He smiled seeing Nico's name. "Hey."

"Hey..." Nico smiled.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah. They've found a donor... So when that comes in I'll be going in for the operation."

"That's great." He grinned, leaving the flat with Trevor.

"I know. I can't wait to get out of this place." Nico spoke. "How did your dad take it?"

"Well... we're getting there."

Nico could hear the shrug, she smiled. "It's about time."

He laughed. "Yeah I guess. I'll come up and see you tomorrow. Kind of being dragged to the Dog.."

"You better do." She smiled.

"I promise. I love you."

"I love you too."

He smiled and hung up, walking into the pub.


	8. Chapter 7

Grace looked up from the bar, seeing Trevor walk in with Dylan and Curtis. "About time! You two all sorted?"

Trevor nodded. "Yeah, we're getting there." He spoke, looking at Dylan, who also nodded.

"Good!" She grinned, walking to them and picking Curtis up.

Trevor looked as a message came through on his phone from Sienna. The message read; 'Hope everything is OK, call me if you need me x' he put his phone away.

"I thought the Osbornes were running the pub?" Dylan looked around.

"Yeah Jack sold it. The Nightingales run it." Trevor shrugged, walking to the table Grace chose.

"Oh." Dylan followed him and sat down.

"We're just gonna take it one day at a time. Get back on track." Trevor spoke, looking at Grace.

"And I know it's gonna take a while, after everything..." Dylan shrugged. "But I'm home and I don't intend on goin' anywhere."

"At least you're back in time for the wedding then." Grace smirked. "And no, you can't wear a dress and show up the bride."

Dylan laughed. "Well we both know I'd wear it way better than you anyway."

"Oi!"

Trevor just laughed, seeing them, his family, complete again. "You kind of asked for that, Grace."

The comment resulted in a kick to the shin and Dylan almost falling off his chair laughing and getting away from Grace and her heels.

Later they left the pub, starting to walk back to the flat.

Trevor stopped, looking at his phone. "I'll meet you at home, just got something to sort out at the loft."

Grace looked over her shoulder. "Can't it wait?"

"I'm sorry." He kissed her. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Dylan rolled his eyes, watching him go. "Does that mean we can order pizza now?"

Grace looked and swatted the back of his head. "Yes."

"Ow! What was that for?" He rubbed his head.

"No reason." She walked up to the flat.

Dylan groaned as he followed her.

Trevor walked to the club, walking inside. "Sienna?"

Sienna was stood at the bar, waiting for him. She turned hearing her name and she smiled, seeing him. "Hey."

He walked to her. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, he didn't even want to think about the implications for his already rock bottom relationship with Dylan.

"I've missed you."

Trevor blew out a breath and shook his head. "You shouldn't be here. You need to leave and go back to your family."

"I want to be with you. We could still go."

"I'm not leaving Dylan again. Or Curtis. Or Grace." He looked at her. "You need to leave. Now." He repeated.

"No. You can't just shut off your feelings like that. Pretend they never existed."

Trevor stared hard at her for a moment or two, trying to keep his head level. It wasn't long before his resolve crumbled and they were making their way to the office.

Back at the flat, Dylan walked down the stairs after settling Curtis while Grace ordered their food.

"Ok who are you and what have you done with Dylan? The one we knew wasn't nearly this helpful." Grace smirked.

"Guess I changed." He shrugged, grinning.

"Well I could get used to it, another pair of hands around the place. You're goin' back to school though. Starting tomorrow."

"But I have no school stuff." He looked.

"Ok then, after the weekend." Grace sighed.

He nodded and sat on the sofa looking at his phone. Nico had texted him saying that she was out of the operation. He smiled a little. "D'you think things will go back to before?"

Grace looked over at the sudden question and she shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think I'd want it to."

Dylan looked up in confusion.

"All you and your dad did was argue most of the time. And I was a bit crazy with the baby stuff. But if you mean will it calm down, then yeah it will. It's just gonna take time, but you'll find your feet again. Your mates are gonna be there. We'll be there."

Dylan nodded, listening to her. "Things are already weird."

"Why?"

"You're actually making sense."

Grace laughed and shook her head. "Yeah this whole thing's changed all of us I think. And I can see an instant change in your dad already. He's got that smile back."

Dylan smiled and went back to his phone. If he could get used to the almost mothering Grace, then he could definitely get his life back on track.


End file.
